The blog for Lone Star linksters - news and notes from the world of Texas Golf.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

LPGA Pro Staging Charity Tourney - at Night - in Fort Worth

Charity tournaments are common in the world of golf. Celebrity charity tournaments are easy to find, too. And charity pro-am event - where the pro might be a touring professional - can't be considered rare. But a charity pro-am tournament, with touring pros, played at night? Using glow-in-the-dark golf balls?

That sounds like fun. And that's what the LPGA's Angela Stanford has arranged in Fort Worth.

Here's the news release. Be sure to visit AngelaStanfordGolf.com for additional details or to register.

Fort Worth - Oct. 22, 2008—Top-ranked LPGA golfer Angela Stanford is bringing professional golfers and the Fort Worth community together for a nighttime golf tournament to raise money for two of the area’s charities. The third annual Let Your Light Shine Angela Stanford Charity Golf Tournament will be held November 1 at Diamond Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth. Proceeds will benefit the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth and Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County.

The event includes a junior clinic, dinner, silent auction and nine holes of golf in which each team is paired with an LPGA professional or a member of the TCU women’s golf team. Players use glow-in-the-dark golf balls to play on illuminated holes.

"I am blessed to be able to make a career out of playing golf, and I want to use my talent to help others," Stanford said. "The tournament is wonderful because people come together for a good cause and have fun doing something they wouldn’t normally do."

Last year, the tournament raised over $38,000, and paid for everything from groceries for a needy family to a used car for a single working mother. Stanford began the charity golf tournament in 2006.

Stanford achieved eight top-10 finishes in 2008, including winning the Bell Micro LPGA Classic, tying for third-place at the Samsung World Championship, and finishing second place at the Longs Drugs Challenge. She is currently in the top 20 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

All proceeds from the event are to be shared between the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth and Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County. The money will support Lena Pope Home’s Holiday at Home program, which provides toys and practical gifts such as shoes and clothing to needy children and families.

The MHMRTC Residential Services program provides residential services for persons with mental retardation, autism, and behavioral disorders. Money raised by the tournament will be used for Special Olympics, recreation, and other activities planned for residents.

The tournament gives participants the chance to play on one of Fort Worth’s great golf courses. Diamond Oaks Country Club meanders along creeks and streams and is framed by massive, 100-year-old oak and pecan trees.